Legislation & Regulation
Legislative and Regulatory Update
July 2022 by Scott Harn
• Extremist groups are at it again
As can be expected, environmental extremist groups have filed suit to stop another mining project. This time, it’s the Excellon Idaho Gold’s Kilgore Gold Exploration Project in Clark County, Idaho.
Some of the usual suspects are involved—the Idaho Conservation League and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
The groups claim the Forest Service violated environmental laws when they approved exploratory drilling. They claim the Forest Service should have opted for a complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIR) rather than following an Executive Order issued by former President Trump that expedited the review process.
• No sales tax on precious metals in Tennessee
Tennessee became the 42nd state to eliminate sales taxes on precious metals on May 27th.
Lead bill sponsor Bud Hulsey said, “I’ve been working to free gold and silver from sales taxes in Tennessee since my kids were in elementary school. The Sound Money Defense League, in-state dealers, and folks all across Tennessee made their voices heard and helped get this bill across the finish line.”
The only states that still tax precious metal coins and bullion are Vermont, New Jersey, Maine, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Mississippi and Hawaii. The District of Columbia also taxes physical gold and silver purchases.
Uniting The Small Miners
Have you ever wondered what it is going to take to stop the insanity of politicians and environmental groups from taking away our rights?
Because I Said So
Like all federal judges, he swore an oath to perform his duties “impartially… under the Constitution and laws of the U.S.” Nothing in those documents gives Judge Morris authority to order the BLM to work with non-government organizations (the same ones that filed the lawsuit in question) to alter America’s use of energy.
Retired Geologist Warned Public of Pending EPA Disaster
Retired geologist Dave Taylor of Farmington, New Mexico, predicted the disaster in a letter published by the Silverton Standard a week before it occurred.
Small Miner Beats Forest Service in Court
Thomas Tierney has been a long-time subscriber to ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal and has read about the many battles between miners and overzealous regulators. Then he faced his own battle.
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• California suction dredging
• House shows support for public land use
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Governors push back on Biden’s public lands acquisition plan
PLP Update
All 28 groups listed agree that Section 402 of the Clean Water Act does not apply and no dredge miner should be asking a state or federal agency for such a permit.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Micron gold: how much to equal an ounce?
• Ask The Experts - How do I properly denote a mining claim? Can I use GPS coordinates?
• The Forms of Crystalline Gold
• Evolution Of A Desert Wash Plant
• Gleaning for Gold
• Making the Jump to Electronic Prospecting
• The Info Is Out There
• Gold: Is It Everywhere?
• Blast From The Past: Gold of the Common Man
• Thieves Make Off with Tons of Gold & Silver Ore
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Gold, Silver & Stocks—How Do I Decide Where to Invest?
• New Mexico Reaches $32M Settlement Over 2015 Gold King Mine Spill
• Our Readers Say
